Man's wild trek from Mesa to Prescott ends in arrest

According to the Yavapai County Sheriff's Office, a Mesa man, 32-year-old Lantio David, was arrested on Monday after causing multiple vehicle collisions and committing a robbery and a carjacking.(Photo: Yavapai County Sheriff's Office)

A man suspected of stealing a car, robbing a store, carjacking another vehicle and then being shot at by a motorist — all in one afternoon — was arrested in Prescott on Monday after a trek that began in Mesa.

Prescott Valley police responded to an accident involving multiple vehicles with injuries at State Route 69 and Fain Road on Monday afternoon, but when officers arrived, they quickly found out the incident involved much more, according to the Yavapai County Sheriff's Office.

According to the Sheriff's Office, the suspect, 32-year-old Lantio David of Mesa, stole a silver Kia Rio from Mesa and drove it to Yavapai County.

When he arrived in Yavapai County, David stopped at the Blue Hills Market, off State Route 69, where he robbed the store, officials said.

David then fled the scene of the robbery in the stolen Kia Rio and headed westbound on State Route 69 toward Prescott Valley, officials said. When he approached the intersection of State Route 69 and Fain Road, he caused the multi-vehicle collision, the Sheriff's Office said.

According to the Sheriff's Office, the Kia Rio was no longer operable, so David attempted to carjack another vehicle, forcibly dragging a man from a Mercedes-Benz SUV. He then attempted to flee the accident scene, officials said.

The episode became even more intense when a witness sitting in traffic in the intersection exited his vehicle with a pistol and shot at David in an apparent attempt to stop the carjacking, the Sheriff's Office said. The man then returned to his vehicle.

According to the Sheriff's Office, David fled the scene in the stolen Mercedes and proceeded westbound on State Route 69 through Prescott Valley, where he was involved in another traffic collision at Sundog Ranch Road. He struck a vehicle and fled the scene of that accident and continued into Prescott, the Sheriff's Office said.

About 1 p.m., authorities stopped the stolen Mercedes at the intersection of Gurley and Pleasant streets in Prescott. David was arrested without incident, the Sheriff's Office said.

Law-enforcement officers still are seeking the public's help in locating the person who fired the gun at David before taking off. He drove a brown pickup truck, officials said.

Anyone with information on the man or any other part of the incident is asked to call the Prescott Valley Police Department at 928-772-9267.